More In Jobs

Wrapping Tangle-Free Cords with Devil Horns

We’re surrounded by cables, cords and wires. Right now on the desk in front of me I can see seven cables without even bothering to look behind my computer. And many of these cords I take with me wherever I go: USB cables, cell chargers, and headphones (two pairs, in fact). And the only thing worse than carrying all these wires all the time is carrying tangled wires all the time.

Luckily a few years ago I came across a simple way of wrapping cords that leaves them tangle-free. It requires no twist-ties or velcro straps, and it works with all sorts of short wires and cables. And it leaves them neat and portable. I call this method the devil horns technique, because you make a mano cornuto gesture with one hand while you butterfly wrap the cord around your index finger and pinkie with your other hand. I’ve never found a good video demonstration of this wrapping technique, so I’ve created one of my own:

Keep in mind that I slowed down for the demonstration. Once you’ve done it a few times, you can wrap your headphone and charger cords much faster than what you see above. (Plus, my thumb had a cumbersome adhesive bandage on it, which slowed me down.) I’m left-handed, but I trust that the right-handed readers of ProfHacker can adopt this technique too!

If you’ve found a better self-sufficient way to wrap your cords, let us know in the comments. But I can’t imagine anything working better than devil horns.

ProfHacker Writers

Amy Cavender is a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and Associate Professor of Political Science and interim Director of the Center for Academic Innovation at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana.